Page 44 of Then Came Love
Chapter Eight
JORDAN SNUGGLED DEEPER beneath the blanket as wakefulness tiptoed in. She’d slept better than she had in so long, she wanted to linger in the warmth and comfort of being well rested. But the sound of the television broke through her reverie, bringing last night rushing back, and she realized she was still on the couch and couldn’t remember ending their call. She bolted up to a sitting position, frantically reaching for her phone. Her stomach pitched at the sight of Jax’s smiling face looking back at her.
“Good morning, beautiful.” His hair was damp, his scruff perfectly manicured, and he was wearing a crisp white dress shirt, reminding her that she was still in her pajamas. “It’s kind of unfair that you can wake up looking so good.”
She snagged the blanket, holding it against her chest as she caught her reflection in the phone. Her eyeliner was smudged, her ponytail was falling out, and there were tangled wayward hairs sticking out everywhere.
“I’m a mess. Have you been watching me all night?” She was mortified. Did she drool? Fart? Talk in her sleep? She didn’t want to know, and quickly added, “What time is it?”
“It’s eight thirty-five. I made us coffee.” He held up two steaming mugs.
“Coffee? But I’m here, and you’re….Never mind. That was sweet, but I’m late. I have to get ready to go.” She jumped to her feet, clutching the phone. “I can’t believe you stayed on FaceTime the whole night. I’m sorry I fell asleep. It must have been the wine. I almost never drink, despite what my pajama top says.”
“You had a rough day and needed the rest. I was glad to know you were safe.”
Safe?She didn’t know what to make of that. “That was fun last night. I mean before I fell asleep, and I’m sorry to run, but I have to leave in forty minutes, and I’m going to be late if I don’t get in the shower.”
“No worries. I’ll see you soon.”
She ended the call and hurried through a shower. She and Todd had been together for years, and never once had they done something like watch a movie together on FaceTime or stay on the phone all night—awake or asleep. As she dried her hair and put on makeup, Jax’s voice trickled in. Good morning, beautiful. It’s kind of unfair that you can wake up looking so good. Did he always say what he felt, or was he just being nice? Whatever the reason, she felt prettier than she had in a long time and decided to wear a cute pale green minidress with a cream-colored flower petal print. It tied between her breasts, making the top clingy and the rest flowy and flirty. It showed a little too much cleavage, but she was feeling good, and Todd wasn’t there to tell her she shouldn’t dress so provocatively. She put on a pair of dangling gold earrings with three linked circles and a matching necklace, then slipped her feet into her comfortable Stuart Weitzman wedge-heeled cream espadrilles.
Her stomach growled as she threw her phone and wallet into a small cream clutch with a crossbody strap so she wouldn’t have to worry about holding it. She hurried into the kitchen for a breakfast bar and shoved it into her clutch, snagged her keys and her itinerary, and headed out the front door. She nearly tripped over herself at the sight of Jax standing by his car, drop-dead handsome in a pale blue blazer over a dark blue dress shirt, with white jeans and loafers, holding a cardboard sign that read, MS. JORDAN LAWLER. Her pulse spiked, happiness blooming inside her.
“Hi. What are you doing here?”
“This is your big day. You should have a handsome guy on your arm.” He held his hands out to his sides. “Need I say more?”
Why, oh why, did everything he do make her giddy? “You don’t have to come with me.”
“Friends don’t leave friends hanging.”
He eyed her appreciatively as she came down the walk, making her glad she’d chosen such a cute outfit, but a little self-conscious about the cleavage-bearing neckline.
“Especially not gorgeous friends. We’d better hurry if we’re going to make that appointment.” He opened the car door.
“Are you always this pushy?”
“I liked it better when you called me charming.” He guided her into the car. He did something in the back seat as she settled into the front, and then he leaned in, smelling like man, musk, and every woman’s dream come true as he put a basket on her lap.
She peered into the basket and saw a muffin on a real plate, garnished with sliced strawberries and a sprig of mint. Beside it were silverware and a cloth napkin.
He handed her a to-go cup. “This morning’s latte is French vanilla, and the muffin is banana nut.”
“Jax, you’re spoiling me. Do you treat all your friends like this?”
“Only the ones I like as much as you.”
“I bet there are a lot of women lining up to sit in this seat.” She felt a pang of jealousy.
“I wouldn’t know. I told you I’m mentally taken.”
Guilt swept in like a gust of wind. “You deserve so much more than a mental relationship, but selfishly, our friendship makes me happy.”
“Me too.” He winked and closed the door, walking around to the driver’s seat. “Where to, Ms. Lawler?”
She smiled as she spread the napkin on her lap. “The Davenport Estate. Would you like to share my muffin?”
He gave her a sly grin as he drove away from the curb. “Hell yes.”
There was probably some kind of sin wrapped up in enjoying their time together, but as she cut the muffin and handed him half on a napkin, she didn’t care. Because there had to be some kind of sin in standing up your fiancé twice in one month, too.
“THIS IS EVERY bit as impressive as I’d heard it was,” Jax said as he parked in front of the Davenport mansion, a sought-after French-style country estate.
“It’s too over the top for my taste, but Todd’s mother suggested we look at it.”
“Don’t underestimate the value of pleasing your soon-to-be mother-in-law. This place definitely makes a statement.” He climbed out of the car and came around to open her door.
She took his hand, noticing again how big and warm it was as she stepped out of the car, and realized Todd never opened car doors for her unless they were attending an event. She wondered if that was a habit because they’d been so young when they’d first started dating. How many nineteen-year-olds opened car doors for their dates?
“Why don’t we lock your bag in the trunk so you don’t have to carry it?”
She’d bet even at nineteen, Jax had opened car doors for girls. “Thanks.”
He placed his hand on her lower back as they made their way inside. She was getting used to that intimate touch.
The marble-floored reception hall was so luxurious, it was intimidating. An enormous chandelier hung from the two-story coffered ceiling, which was painted off-white with steel-blue accents and trimmed in gold. Enormous paintings with substantial, intricately carved frames decorated the stone walls, the bottom third of which were covered in dark wood. At the other end of the reception hall was a wide marble staircase leading up to another elaborately decorated area.
Jordan leaned closer to Jax, speaking softly. “Why do places like this make me feel like I have to whisper?”
“Because it’s like a museum, and that’s how we’re taught to act in museums.”
